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She-devil of Shadewood
This is a transcript of "The She-devil of Shadewood," author unknown. ---- This is the tale of the she-devil of Shadewood, and the flood of strange disappearances that terrorized the hearts of Frostkeep for many years. There was once a young man named Andrik, whose father was Dalwin, a hunter of Frostkeep. Like any good father, Dalwin taught Andrik his own trade of hunting. He taught him how to skin an animal, how to cut the meat and stalk a prey. Every day Andrik practised his archery. All until one day, on his fifteenth birthday, Andrik was taken to the woods to learn hunting on real prey. The forest of Shadewood was a dangerous one, haunted by vicious monsters by night, ghastly during the day with a white mist and uncanny silence. So Andrik and his father strode into the forest, laughing and eager, not knowing what fate awaited them. The threatening silence didn’t seem to have its effect on the two brave men, and they went in deep, looking for good prey. When they spotted a healthy looking deer, Dalwin ordered his son and guided him. Andrik slowly stalked the deer, and shot it from afar when he had the opportunity. They then cheered joyously and took out their knives, hurrying towards the killed deer to skin it. They were joyously working, singing an old hunter’s song, until something caught Dalwin’s attention. A beautiful woman stood near a tree watching them. She was dressed only in a thin, green robe, and she smiled pleasantly at the two men. Dalwin hastily stood up, wiping his blooded hands clean in a brown rag, and Andrik followed his father’s example. They were both so captivated by the woman’s unearthly beauty that they simply stared at her without speech, until she turned around and ran off. Without thought the two men ran after her, calling and asking her to wait. When she entered a cave in snow-covered rock the men hurried in after her, blinded by Sharess. And in the cave she waited for them, lying on a bed of silk. When the father and son entered she rose up and halted them with a motion. The men stood frozen, gazing at her with large, greedy eyes as she danced for them. Then, when Dalwin lost all control of himself, he grabbed the woman fiercely and took her to the bed. Andrik watched, still frozen, how they shared the bed. Then he watched, still frozen, how she ripped out Dalwin’s throat with her teeth. He watched how the she-devil ate the flesh from Dalwin’s bones. Then she turned to Andrik. Finally struggling to free himself from her spell, he fell to his knees and begged for his life. "Please! Please don’t eat me. I shall do anything you wish!" wailed the young ranger. The vile she-devil grinned, realising the young man’s potential. "Then you shall be my consort, and swear an oath of loyalty to me. You shall protect me, fulfil my needs and pleasures, and provide me with human flesh." Andrik, fearing for his life, swore the oath with trembling voice, and was sent home. At home he told of his father’s death, in his words eaten by a pack of ravaging worgs. The family was in mourning, but Andrik lived, and the she-devil would hold him to his oath. Andrik grew up to be a strong and able hunter. Often did he go into Shadewood Forest, always presumed hunting, and he became known as the Ranger of Shadewood. In truth, he often visited the she-devil, vile temptress and murderess of his father, to please her as she wished. On every night of the dark moon, when no light shone upon the forest, he was to bring her a sacrifice of human flesh and blood. He did so for many years, and for many years this terror induced fear in the hearts of the people. All until he was caught in the act of abduction. Trying to take a young woman from Frostkeep to he vicious she-devil, he was spotted and killed by a patrol of soldiers along the road. Thus ended the life of Andrik and the abductions. But the she-devil remains, and still haunts the depths of the cold forest. Category:Lore Category:Books